The Lu family’s old residence was a grand, retro European-style mansion located in the heart of the city’s northern district, a prime area where every inch of land was precious. It could be considered a landmark building, commanding attention with its prominent presence.

This mansion belonged to Lu Yan’s grandfather, but Lu Yan had never set foot there. This was because her father and grandfather had severed their father-son relationship years ago.

Lu Yan’s grandfather, Lu Jian, was the chairman of the Lu Group, the company that, at the turn of the century, had carved out a significant place in history for the Lu Group’s real estate empire.

In Lu Yan’s memory, her grandfather, Lu Jian, was a very dignified man, serious and stern, with an imposing demeanor. After his daughter—Lu Yan’s aunt—went missing, it was rare to see him smile.

Later, he severed ties with his son, Lu Zhen, and became ill from the accumulated grief, eventually passing away too soon.

At the entrance of the mansion, Lu Zhen parked the motorcycle and removed Lu Yan’s helmet. He asked, “Do you remember our dad?”

“Yes, I remember. Grandpa was very strict and used to ignore me.”

Lu Zhen helplessly rubbed her head, his eyes showing a hint of helplessness. “It’s ‘Dad,’ not Grandpa.”

“Uh.”

He took Lu Yan by the hand as they walked toward the mansion. Lu Yan felt a little nervous and naturally took his hand.

Lu Zhen now treated her like his little sister, affectionately giving her a reassuring pat, signaling her not to be afraid.

The interior of the mansion was decorated in a soft white European style, a result of Grandpa Lu Jian’s years spent studying and living in Europe.

Even twenty years ago, let alone in Lu Yan’s time, such luxurious home decor was rare to see.

“Lu Zhen, why are you back?”

A soft, seductive voice came from the staircase.

The speaker was Shi Xuexian, Lu Jian’s second wife. Well-maintained, she appeared to be in her twenties despite being in her thirties. Her skin was fairer than snow, and her mature elegance added a charm that a younger woman could not match.

For middle-aged men, a woman like her was highly seductive.

Lu Yan looked at Shi Xuexian, trying to figure out what to call her—step-grandmother?

Lu Yan knew that her father, Lu Zhen, and grandfather, Lu Jian, had always had a very poor relationship, partly due to Shi Xuexian’s “influence.”

As a result, when Lu Jian passed away, the entire Lu Group ended up in Shi Xuexian’s hands, with not a penny left for Lu Zhen.

This showed just how powerful this woman was.

“This is my house. Can’t I come back?” Lu Zhen’s face darkened slightly, his voice coldening.

Shi Xuexian smiled gently and replied, “You’re the eldest son. You can come and go as you please. Although I’m a mother, I can’t really control you, can I?”

Her tone carried an implied sarcasm. Lu Zhen, being a man, naturally didn’t bother to argue with her, but Lu Yan couldn’t stand her step-grandmother speaking to her father like that.

“Other people’s mothers are the legitimate daughters of the Meng Group, but what kind of mother are you to Lu Zhen? Don’t flatter yourself.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Shi Xuexian’s face changed drastically. However, she still maintained the demeanor of the mistress of the house, putting on a stern face and saying to Lu Zhen, “Bringing your girlfriend home—if your dad finds out, you’ll regret it.”

Lu Zhen was now even more certain that Lu Yan must indeed be his biological sister, because how else would she know that his mother was the legitimate daughter of the Meng Group?

But after all these years, this silly little sister had actually become sharp-tongued and no longer the timid little coward who used to get bullied.

He pulled Lu Yan closer to him and said, “Look closely. She’s my sister, my father’s biological daughter, Xiao Yan.”

Shi Xuexian’s face showed a trace of suspicion as she carefully examined Lu Yan. Indeed, she looked like the missing girl, but… how could that be possible?

Hadn’t she already…

Shi Xuexian shook her head and said to Lu Zhen, “You can’t just grab any random wild girl off the street who looks somewhat similar and claim she’s the eldest daughter of the Lu family. That’s ridiculous.”

“Whether she’s the eldest daughter of the Lu family or not, we’ll know when Old Lu comes back,” Lu Zhen replied.

“Your dad has an important meeting tonight and won’t be back.”

Shi Xuexian crossed her arms and coldly said, “His health isn’t great lately. I advise you not to anger him anymore. Hurry up and send this girl away. You really think you can bring anyone in and have them pretend to be the eldest daughter?”

Lu Zhen pulled Lu Yan behind him and took out his phone. “I’ll call Old Lu right now and tell him we’ve found his daughter.”

Suddenly, Shi Xuexian snatched the phone from his hand, her expression turning grim. “Your dad’s meeting tonight is extremely important. I advise you not to disturb him.”

Lu Zhen suddenly sneered. “I know. Not long ago, Old Lu said he was going to discuss a project with your brother, but it wouldn’t be tonight, would it? Your brother’s small company, which has even been involved in a tax evasion scandal—does it really qualify to cooperate with the Lu Group?”

Shi Xuexian’s face tightened, her eyes nearly sparking with anger, but she still managed to keep her emotions in check and said, “This is your father’s decision. You have no right to interfere.”

Lu Yan had heard of this formidable step-grandmother of the Lu family before. Relatives at home always said that it was Shi Xuexian who had whispered in Grandpa Lu Jian’s ear, subtly sowing discord between father and son, which eventually led to their fallout. Grandpa didn’t leave a single penny of his inheritance to Lu Zhen.

As the saying goes, hearing is one thing, but seeing is another. Today, Lu Yan finally experienced the imposing presence of this step-grandmother.

However, Lu Yan didn’t quite understand why Shi Xuexian was so determined to drive her away. If it were anyone else in the family, seeing a girl who looked so much like the missing aunt would surely lead them to investigate further.

What gave her the right to be so certain that Lu Yan couldn’t be her aunt?

At this moment, the door on the second floor opened, and a girl walked out holding a portable cassette player, frowning. “Mom, it’s so noisy, I can’t concentrate on my English review.”

Lu Yan turned around and looked at the girl. She was wearing a pink robe-style top with a light-colored mesh skirt, tied with a soft ribbon at the waist in the shape of a bow, dressed like a little princess.

Lu Yan recognized her. She was Shi Xuexian’s child, named Shi Ya.

Shi Ya wasn’t a Lu family child, but she had been living with the Lu family for some time, calling Lu Jian “Uncle.”

Lu Yan remembered hearing from relatives when she was young that Shi Xuexian had wanted Shi Ya to change her surname to Lu and call Lu Jian “Dad,” but Lu Jian had never acknowledged her.

Shi Ya glanced at Lu Yan. Her long lashes were curled and thick, and her lips were as red as pearls. The striking, peach blossom-shaped eyes, similar to Lu Zhen’s, made her features come alive, so beautiful it took one’s breath away.

Shi Ya’s expression changed slightly as she warily asked her mother, “Mom, who is she?”

Shi Xuexian replied, “Your brother brought her back. He insists that she’s the lost little sister from back then.”

Upon hearing that the “mentally challenged” girl had returned, Shi Ya instinctively felt a sense of hostility toward Lu Yan. Her face changed dramatically. “Mom, is it true?”

Shi Xuexian coldly responded, “It’s impossible for her to have come back. It’s not her.”

Only then did Shi Ya feel slightly reassured.

Lu Zhen completely ignored Shi Xuexian. He sent a message to his father, Lu Jian, briefly explaining the situation, and then began directing the servants to prepare a room for Lu Yan to sleep in at night.

Although Shi Xuexian was the stepmother, she was still the head of the household, and immediately said, “No, you can’t keep this girl of unclear origins in the house overnight until we figure things out.”

“Why not?”

“Your dad has quite a collection of priceless antique porcelain. What if it gets stolen?”

Lu Yan glanced at Shi Xuexian. She was indeed beautiful, and younger than Lu Zhen’s mother by a few years, but in terms of temperament and vision, she was far behind the young Miss Meng from a wealthy family.

Shi Xuexian carried herself with a petty bourgeois air, no wonder Lu Jian rarely took her to formal occasions.

She wasn’t suitable for high society.

Lu Zhen replied, “If something gets lost, I’ll pay for it.”

“Pay? Isn’t your money still the Lu family’s money?!”

Lu Zhen suddenly smiled. “In the end, it’s all Lu family money. Why are you so worried?”

Shi Xuexian was stunned, unable to find a retort.

Shi Ya, holding the hem of her dress, walked downstairs. She stopped in front of Lu Yan, looked her up and down, then glanced at Lu Zhen. It was true—there was a striking resemblance between the two, as if they were carved from the same mold.

She felt uneasy. She had never liked that “mentally challenged” sister before. After all, in a family with two daughters, the biological one was always the most favored.

The past two years, Lu Jian, her stepfather, had shown her a little more care, and she didn’t want this biological daughter to return and steal the attention.

Shi Ya pulled on her mother’s sleeve, speaking anxiously, “Mom, you can’t let her stay!”

Shi Xuexian patted her daughter’s hand to reassure her, then walked over to sit on the sofa, assuming the position of the head of the household. She tried to persuade Lu Zhen gently:

“Xiao Zhen, can you be absolutely sure that she is your missing sister, Lu Yan?”

Lu Zhen couldn’t be 100% sure, but he was 70% certain.

“Your father has finally managed to recover from the grief of losing his daughter. Now, you bring home this girl with an unclear identity, giving him hope. What if the paternity test shows she isn’t his? Do you think your father can handle such a blow?”

A hint of difficulty appeared on Lu Zhen’s face.

Indeed, Lu Yan had heard from the family that Lu Jian had always been so fond of his youngest daughter, treating her as if she were made of gold. If she wanted the moon from the sky, Lu Jian would have gone and gotten it for her.

After the daughter was kidnapped, Lu Jian had sent people everywhere looking for her, unable to sleep at night, his hair graying from the stress of these past two years.

Seeing Lu Zhen wavering, Shi Xuexian seized the opportunity, saying, “It’s better to send this girl back. It’s late, and her parents must be worried.”

Lu Yan clenched Lu Zhen’s hand and quickly said, “This is my home. Where else do you want to send me?”

Shi Xuexian’s face turned cold. “You think our Lu family’s door is so easy to enter, that you can just act like a rogue?”

Lu Yan was nearly driven to the edge of fury by this step-grandmother. Back when her aunt had gone missing, there had been rumors in the family suggesting that it might have something to do with this stepmother. At that time, Lu Yan had been a naive girl, unwilling to believe that such evil people existed. Now, seeing Shi Xuexian act like this, she was starting to believe.

“I’m not leaving.” Lu Yan held Lu Zhen’s hand tightly and whispered, “Please, don’t make me leave.”

Shi Xuexian slammed the table and sternly said, “If you don’t leave, I’ll have someone throw you out.”

At this moment, the sound of a car outside could be heard. A bright car headlight shone through the window, illuminating Lu Yan’s face.

Lu Yan instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes. In the glare of the high beams, a middle-aged man hurriedly got out of a Mercedes-Benz.

Lu Jian had returned.